Music Matters / Blue Note

Joe Henderson – Page One | Music Matters Reissue

“Page One is one of the most brilliant recording debuts in jazz history. While most first efforts feature a promising jazz musician in their early stages when they sound a bit like their musical heroes since they are in the process of developing their own original voices. Page One is much different. Joe Henderson, who was 26 at the time, was already fully formed. His sound was immediately recognizable and his ability to play both inside (hard bop) and outside (explorative jazz) at the same time made him unique from the beginning of his career.Henderson began his career playing locally in Detroit. After serving in the military and having a brief stint with organist Jack McDuff, he joined trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s group in 1962. Dorham championed Henderson and helped get him signed to Blue Note. For Page One, Henderson utilized Dorham, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Pete La Roca for a remarkable set of forward-looking and passionate jazz.

Page One includes the earliest recordings of Dorham’s “Blue Bossa” (which has been a standard ever since), “La Mesha” and four Henderson originals including “Recorda Me.” Henderson and Dorham make for a perfect team as they show on such numbers as the swinging “Jinrikisha,” the explosive “Homestretch” and the blues “Out Of The Night.” Dorham, a veteran from the bebop era, effectively passed the torch to Joe Henderson who from this point on would make a superb series of timeless recordings. Page One was a giant first step in a very significant career.” - Music Matters

The two bop numbers are fantastic toe-tappers. "Homestretch" features some really nice unison playing by the horns. And "Jinrikisha" has the well-known Tyner block chords backing a Henderson solo that sounds a lot like John Coltrane. (Not a huge surprise because one year later Tyner would back Trane on the all-time classic A Love Supreme.)

Finally, the ballads. "La Mesha" features Henderson sounding sad and soulful, and Dorham sounding sweet and simple. But my favorite is the aptly named closer, "Out of the Night," a smoky blues that does, indeed, sound like it was recorded at midnight. Down, dirty and, well, bluesy.” - All About Jazz

Musicians:

Joe Henderson, tenor sax

Kenny Dorham, trumpet

McCoy Tyner, piano

Butch Warren, bass

Pete La Roca, drums

About Joe Henderson:

“Joe Henderson is proof that jazz can sell without watering down the music; it just takes creative marketing. Although his sound and style were virtually unchanged from the mid-'60s, Joe Henderson's signing with Verve in 1992 was treated as a major news event by the label (even though he had already recorded many memorable sessions for other companies). His Verve recordings had easy-to-market themes (tributes to Billy Strayhorn, Miles Davis, and Antonio Carlos Jobim) and, as a result, he became a national celebrity and a constant poll winner while still sounding the same as when he was in obscurity in the 1970s.

The general feeling is that it couldn't have happened to a more deserving jazz musician. After studying at Kentucky State College and Wayne State University, Joe Henderson played locally in Detroit before spending time in the military (1960-1962). He played briefly with Jack McDuff and then gained recognition for his work with Kenny Dorham (1962-1963), a veteran bop trumpeter who championed him and helped Henderson get signed to Blue Note. Henderson appeared on many Blue Note sessions both as a leader and as a sideman, spent 1964-1966 with Horace Silver's Quintet, and during 1969-1970 was in Herbie Hancock's band. From the start, he had a very distinctive sound and style which, although influenced a bit by both Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, also contained a lot of brand new phrases and ideas. Henderson had long been able to improvise in both inside and outside settings, from hard bop to freeform. In the 1970s, he recorded frequently for Milestone and lived in San Francisco, but was somewhat taken for granted. The second half of the 1980s found him continuing his freelancing and teaching while recording for Blue Note, but it was when he hooked up with Verve that he suddenly became famous. Virtually all of his recordings are currently in print on CD, including a massive collection of his neglected (but generally rewarding) Milestone dates. On June 30, 2001, Joe Henderson passed away due to heart failure after a long battle with emphysema. ~ Scott Yanow” - Blue Note Records